Jordan at critical juncture: PM-designate

Tarawneh said the transitional government is trying to pave the way for political reforms at a time when Jordan is in a “critical situation.”

Tarawneh made the comments during a parliament meeting in the capital, Amman, on Sunday.

The Jordanian prime minister-designate served as the premier and head of Jordan’s royal court under the rule of King Hussein, father of Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

King Abdullah II ordered Tarawneh to form a new government following the resignation of former Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh on April 26. Khasawneh resigned six months after forming a government he had promised would implement reforms in Jordan.

Thousands of Jordanians, however, took to the streets in Amman on April 27 to protest the appointment of Tarawneh to form a new government.

The latest development comes at a time when Jordanians have been holding demonstrations since January 2011 to demand political and economic reforms and an end to corruption.